Local News

Acorn and Iris more than might seem at first glance

Business Spotlight

IRON MOUNTAIN -- People who first come into Acorn and Iris in downtown Iron Mountain often are surprised not only by the size of the store but the scope of items offered.

Acorn and Iris opened in June at 110 E. B St. in Iron Mountain, in the lower level of a building purchased by owners Marina and Bryon Roesselet. While it might look small when first walking in, the store has several rooms and hallways filled with treasures -- jewelry and accessories, scarves, winter hats, incense, incense burners, sage, books, vintage items, collectible beer cans and more.

The Roesselets moved up from Milwaukee. "We were looking for a house up north, looking all over northern Wisconsin, and setted on Iron Mountain," Marina explained.

She said she has always been interested in vintage items and collectibles and enjoys organizing things. She previously owned a store in Milwaukee for six years called Third Point of View, which is currently run by her son and daughter-in-law, Peter and Jen Roesselet. That store offered more vintage items, which is something Marina would like to add to the new store, and more books.

When her husband travels for work, Bryon goes to estate sales and looks for items for the store.

"That's something we don't have a lot of, and people have expressed an interest in more vintage things," she said. Men, for example, seek old beer signs and things of that nature.

But the biggest sellers are jewelry, rocks and crystals. "Not a day goes by that we don't sell some sort of jewelry or stone," Marina said.

What she enjoys most about owning the store is meeting and talking to all the different people who come in to look around.

"People have been very receptive and very happy that there's more options in town," she said. "Someone told me, 'Thanks for taking a chance on Iron Mountain.'"

She has four employees to help with the store, Marina said.

"That's been nice, too, to be able to be somewhere where I don't really know anybody and then find some really good people to work with, good employees," she said.

The store is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. The hours may change during the winter. For more information on Acorn and Iris, call 906-828-1266 or go online to Facebook.com/acorniris.

Marguerite Lanthier can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 85242, or mlanthier@ironmountaindailynews.com.